Chapter Text
[Y/n] finally took a breath and laid out everything. He spoke about waking up in an unfamiliar place, confused and far from home. He explained how he had taken in and became Sage of Truth's personal knight, a cover to hide his identity as a traveler from the future while staying close to the one person who might have the answers.
Sage of Truth had looked through ancient archives, spending sleepless nights until he finally pieced together the exact magical ley lines needed to open a rift and send [Y/n] back home.
He didn't really tell some parts as they are private only for himself.
Gingerbrave, Wizard, Pure Vanilla, and Strawberry sat in stunned silence as the story wrapped up.
"S-Shadow Milk Cookie was nice?!" Gingerbrave made a face, his jaw practically dropping to the floor. "Why did he become so evil then?"
[Y/n] shrugged, staring down at his hands. "No idea... As far as I know, I didn't see the signs of him being corrupted at all. He seemed fine to me... I even felt safe with him..."
Pure Vanilla Cookie remained silent. He leaned his staff against the wooden table, its magical eye slowly shutting as he sank deep into thought.
"Shadow Milk..." Pure Vanilla mumbled under his breath, his expression unreadable. "I wonder..."
"I-I am glad you came back safe and sound," Strawberry Cookie whispered, breaking the heavy mood with a small, relieved smile. "We were worried."
Wizard Cookie leaned across the table. "Hey [Y/n] Cookie, will you teach me about the runes of the ancients you learned from the past? I would love to know how the teachings were back then!"
"Eh? Sure, I mean I learned straight from the cookie who is currently evil..." [Y/n] did his best to smile, but a shadow of sadness fell over his face.
A heavy weight settled in his chest. How could he ever face Shadow Milk Cookie now? Would he even have the heart to draw his weapon and fight him?
The memory of the kind Sage flashed in his mind—no, back then, he was a Blueberry Milk Cookie. Gentle, sharp, and patient.
"Hey, hey! What was the Spire like back in the past?" Gingerbrave leaned far across the table, his eyes wide. Wizard Cookie shoved in right beside him, practically vibrating with impatience. "You've got to tell us!"
[Y/n] let out a nervous laugh, a drop of sweat rolling down his cheek. He should have known these two would be exploding with excitement about the past. He glanced around the table. Pure Vanilla remained quiet, lost in thought, while Strawberry Cookie peeked out from behind her giant lollipop. She wasn't openly yelling like the boys, but her curious eyes gave her away—she was dying to hear the story too, even if her shyness kept her quiet.
"Why not..." [Y/n] sighed, leaning back against his chair. "Let's get one thing straight... the Spire of Knowledge back then wasn't anything like the other kingdoms we've visited or heard about..."
As [Y/n] began describing, Pure Vanilla Cookie slowly reached out and grabbed his staff. The magical eye on top snapped open, its glowing gaze fixing entirely on [Y/n].
Pure Vanilla could sense it—[Y/n] was holding something back. Yet, he chose not to press him. He watched the subtle shift in [Y/n]'s expression, the unmistakable pain whenever the conversation drifted back to Shadow Milk Cookie. It was clear that [Y/n] and the Sage of Truth hadn't just been master and knight; they had been deeply close friends.
Pure Vanilla’s mind raced back to his own recent clash with Shadow Milk Cookie. During the chaos of that battle, he recalled how Shadow Milk had seemed strangely distracted at times, looking across the battlefield as if he were looking for someone.
Is it possible he was looking for [Y/n]? Pure Vanilla wondered.
If Shadow Milk knew [Y/n] was in this era, wouldn't he have called out his name? But he hadn't.
Then again, [Y/n] had been in the battle alongside Gingerbrave and the others, fending off the waves of puppet minions while Pure Vanilla faced the Beast alone. Had Shadow Milk truly failed to notice [Y/n] in the crowd? Or was there something else at play?
If the two of them were to ever meet face-to-face now, how would it go? What would become of them? Would Shadow Milk offer a twisted, welcoming greeting... or would he immediately draw them into a deadly battle?
Pure Vanilla had always believed he understood the nature of the Beasts, but looking at [Y/n], he realized he didn't know the Sage of Truth half as well as he thought. He stared at [Y/n], who was patiently answering the flurry of questions from Gingerbrave and Wizard.
Sage of Truth was gone. That Cookie had been kind, brilliant, and uncorrupted. The Shadow Milk Cookie of today was a completely different entity—dangerous, deeply unstable, and cruel. To him, the whole world was nothing more than a stage, and everyone in it merely puppets for his amusement.
Still, a thought nagged at the back of Pure Vanilla's mind. A missing piece of the puzzle. He was overlooking...
"Pure Vanilla, do you need a drink too?"
The sudden voice broke his trance. Pure Vanilla blinked, looking up to see [Y/n] watching him with concern.
"Mm? Oh... yes, thank you," Pure Vanilla offered a soft, gentle smile.
"Maybe some snacks too! I am hungry!" Gingerbrave piped up, raising his hand high in the air and breaking the serious mood entirely.
"Gingerbrave, you ate already," Wizard groaned.
Gingerbrave pouted, crossing his arms tightly against his chest like a stubborn child. "Not enough! Still hungry. Pleasseeee?"
Wizard let out a long, defeated sigh. "Fine, fine... Strawberry Cookie, can you help me?"
"O-Of course!" Strawberry Cookie squeaked softly, following Wizard toward the kitchen to prepare snacks for the group.
"Hey! I can help too!" Gingerbrave gasped, his bad mood instantly vanishing as he bolted from his seat and sprinted after his friends, his energetic footsteps fading down the hall.
Just like that, the quiet returned to the room, leaving only [Y/n] and Pure Vanilla Cookie sitting in the silence. "Well, I should go and take a rest," [Y/n] muttered, pushing himself up from the chair with a heavy sigh. "Gonna need a lot of energy for whatever comes next..."
"If I may ask..." Pure Vanilla spoke, his voice gentle and soft, breaking the quiet before [Y/n] could take a step away. "What was... he like?"
[Y/n] paused in his tracks. He turned slightly, staring back at the Ancient Cookie with a guarded, unreadable expression. "Like... what?"
Pure Vanilla lowered his gaze for a brief moment before looking up. "Was he happy?"
Silence stretched between them. Without another word, [Y/n] turned away, stepping toward the doorway. "Yeah," he whispered quietly.
He was.